How can one be Emperor Chongzhen without money?

Chapter 117 Donglin Needs to Save Itself, a Great Transfer of Favors (First Update)
Zhengxintang Teahouse, Zhengyangmenwai Street, Beijing.

The private room on the second floor facing the street had its window half open, allowing the faint sounds of traffic and pedestrians to drift in, which only made the atmosphere inside the room feel more oppressive.

Qian Qianyi held his teacup, not taking a sip for a long time, his gaze fixed on the rising steam, somewhat lost in thought. Li Banghua, Vice Minister of War and Assistant Administrator of the Capital Garrison; Hou Xun, Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; Yang Shaozhen, Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review; Xu Guangqi, Vice Minister of Rites; and Huang Zongxi, the newly appointed second-place scholar in the imperial examinations and compiler of the Hanlin Academy and head of the Yunnan Provincial Administration of Revenue, sat around a table, remaining silent.

“Sigh…” Qian Qianyi finally put down his cup, sighed, and said wearily, “His Majesty’s actions… are truly relentless and difficult to resist. The official lands of Southern Zhili and Zhejiang—how can they be easily touched? They are the lifeblood of so many people! Now, using those poor members of the imperial clan in Datong as an excuse, he’s trying to forcibly take away a huge chunk. And the interest will have to be used to repay his ‘debt of imperial grace’ first? This… this is simply…”

He shook his head and didn't continue. Everyone present was a shrewd person; they all knew what lay behind the phrase "simply"—simply undermining the foundation of the gentry in the southeast. But the Emperor still had the upper hand, after all, it was government land! Tens of millions of acres, more than half of which were paddy fields in fertile rice-producing regions. Even if we don't calculate the exact amount, three dou of rent per acre would amount to several million shi! And the land rent for paddy fields in Southern Zhili and Zhejiang was far more than three dou.

This profit is far greater than the silver that flows in from maritime trade!

What's worse is that the Ming Dynasty has no shortage of princes and members of the imperial family!
These tens of millions of acres in the southeast could be divided among a hundred princes, a couple thousand generals, and a couple of tens of thousands of lieutenants. The emperor would also receive "favors and interest," and everything would be taken care of. It was just that the gentry and powerful families in the southeast silently bore the brunt of it all.

Li Banghua frowned deeply and replied, "What Muzhai Gong says is true. But in the current court discussions, our voice is weak. His Majesty, though young, is well-versed in the art of 'borrowing momentum' and 'creating momentum.' The Doyan and Chahan tribes have both been defeated by him, and his military might is at its peak!"

With external victories, we naturally have the confidence to govern our own country!
Li Banghua continued, “When the cases of Dai Ni and Zhu Chunchen’s collusion with the enemy came to light, people were in a state of panic. He took advantage of this ‘momentum’ to implement his own policies, and Huang Zhongwu (Huang Liji’s courtesy name was Zhongwu) and Zhang Shilin (Zhang Zhiji’s courtesy name was Shilin) ​​and others cheered him on, always occupying the moral high ground. If we stand up to them, we will only be seen as disregarding the lives of the imperial family and not understanding the emperor’s heart.”

"It's not just Huang Zhongwu and Zhang Shilin?" Hou Xun sneered, lowering his voice. "That Grand Eunuch Wei, and his eunuchs and secret police, are now His Majesty's most trusted tools. Not only have they confiscated and exterminated families, but they've also been at the forefront, leading troops in the slaughter of the Doyan and the defeat of the Chahan. They're showing signs of becoming the Tang Dynasty's Shence Army!"

Hearing the topic veer off course, Xu Guangqi, who had been silent until now, slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of Jiangzhe accent: "In the end, it's because the imperial court is short of money. Although His Majesty's private treasury is abundant, it can't fill this bottomless pit. We can only find a way out from elsewhere. But this method..." He shook his head again, clearly disagreeing.

At this moment, Huang Zongxi, who was sitting at the lower end of the table, suddenly cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen," he said in a low voice, drawing everyone's attention, "what Lord Li said just now is absolutely right. His Majesty is adept at 'using power,' and if we blindly resist his 'power,' it will be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. The best course of action now is for us to 'borrow power,' or even 'create power,' and seize this 'righteous' title before it is officially established."

Qian Qianyi's eyes lit up slightly as he looked at him: "What brilliant ideas does Taichong have? Please explain in detail."

Huang Zongxi sat up straighter and glanced at everyone: "I believe there are three things that we may be able to do first or help push things along."

"First, the Maritime Trade Office!" he said firmly. "His Majesty's approval of the seven princes to grant additional trading ports clearly demonstrates his intentions. We must not allow the dominant power in port trade to fall into the hands of those princes who have gone south or the eunuchs sent by the palace! Otherwise, the profits and power in the southeast will fall entirely into the hands of the eunuch faction! I believe we should quickly and thoroughly reform the old system of the Maritime Trade Office and establish new regulations. We cannot delay any longer. Moreover, we must give His Majesty a concrete figure." He held up two fingers, "Two million taels a year!"

Two million taels! This figure made everyone present gasp. This was a huge sum of money.

Hou Xun hesitated and said, "Two million a year? This... would merchants from the southeast be willing to accept this?"

"They must be willing!" Huang Zongxi said decisively. "Without the Maritime Trade Office, the profits from maritime trade will be divided up by the eunuch faction and pirates! With the Maritime Trade Office, paying some taxes is nothing. It's just that the prices of exported silk, tea, porcelain, and sugar will rise a bit. The cost will ultimately come from the consumers! This matter should be handled quickly. We absolutely cannot wait until the Seventh Prince's Mansion has established a foothold on the coast!"

Qian Qianyi stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before slowly nodding: "Hmm... Taking the initiative to offer tribute is a way to advance. At least we can retain most of the control over the maritime trade and avoid being completely passive. Taichong, you must handle this matter as soon as possible."

With Qian Qianyi's approval, Huang Zongxi perked up and continued, "The second is 'relocating the fiefdoms to fill the Sichuan region'!"

He paused, lowering his voice even further, yet it was like a stone thrown into still water: "In my opinion, we should not only not obstruct the 'Relocation of Feudal Fiefs to Sichuan,' but should instead promote it with great fanfare! We should make it even more grand and impressive than the 'Relocation of Seven Princes'!"

"Why is that?" Yang Shaozhen asked, puzzled. "Isn't the Shaanxi princes' move to Sichuan also a division of territory?" "It's not the same!" A sharp glint flashed in Huang Zongxi's eyes. "Have you considered this carefully, sir? If the Shaanxi princes were to move to Sichuan, Yunnan, or Guizhou, how would the court control them, given the high mountains, long roads, and the harsh, pestilential lands? The Duke of Qian's family, who has been stationed in Yunnan for generations, has an army! The Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty clearly state that princes can have guards and protect their territories! If His Majesty approves the westward relocation of the Shaanxi princes, could he... allow them to rebuild their guards?"

"Rebuild the Guard?!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt in the private room. Li Banghua, Hou Xun, and the others all paled. Ever since the reign of Emperor Chengzu, the possession of military power by vassal kings had been the greatest taboo of the court! Bringing this up now was tantamount to courting death!

"Tai Chong! Watch your words!" Li Banghua hurriedly whispered, "This is a path to disaster!"

Hou Xun waved his hands repeatedly: "Absolutely not! Absolutely not! This move will surely be met with widespread criticism! His Majesty will never allow it!"

Huang Zongxi remained unusually calm. After they quieted down a bit, he slowly said, "In my opinion, there don't seem to be many 'taboos' in this world for the current emperor."

His gaze swept over the astonished and uncertain faces of the crowd: "The Imperial Ancestral Instructions forbid vassal kings from engaging in commerce, leaving their fiefdoms, or having dealings with government officials. Hasn't His Majesty found excuses to circumvent these prohibitions? Now, even the annual stipends are almost impossible to pay. How will they support the imperial family? How will they defend the borders? The Ancestral Instructions clearly state that guards can be established. Why can't we use them? He can do what the Ancestral Instructions forbid. What the founding emperor allowed us to do, what's there to be afraid of if we mention it?"

He spoke with a hint of sarcasm: "Let's spread this word and discuss it openly. We'll stir up trouble and temporarily divert the attention of the court and the nation from the official fields in Jiangnan to the western border regions! That's one point."

"Secondly," his voice grew even colder, "I also want to see if those princes in Shaanxi, and their descendants, have the guts! Do they have the responsibility of the descendants of Emperor Taizu Gao? If His Majesty really opens this door, not one of them will dare to be the first in the world, nor will they dare to go to the dangerous lands of Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan to guard them... Heh heh."

He chuckled softly and said nothing more.

But everyone present understood. If the imperial clan were so incompetent, so afraid of death and hardship, what face did they have to come to Jiangnan to fight for land and profit? The emperor's act of forcibly allocating official land to support these useless members of the imperial clan would be morally questionable!
Qian Qianyi stroked his beard, lost in thought for a long, long time, the only sounds in the private room being the faint sounds of the city outside the window. He finally nodded slightly, his expression incredibly complex.

"The bloodline of the founding emperor... surely it can't be that bad..." he muttered to himself, as if anticipating something.

Huang Zongxi stopped pursuing the matter and changed the subject, looking at Li Banghua: "Master Meng An (Li Banghua's courtesy name), I have heard that recently the Korean side has repeatedly sent envoys to Dengzhou and Laizhou to report an emergency? The situation seems to be very bad?"

Li Banghua was still processing Huang Zongxi's groundbreaking remarks when he heard this, and his brows furrowed tightly again. He nodded emphatically.

"Indeed! Urgent reports from Governor Sun (Sun Guozhen) of Dengzhou and Laizhou and General Mao of Dongjiang have reached the Ministry of War. After the spring planting season, the Jurchen troops have been unusually active, repeatedly crossing the Yalu River and eliminating the outposts and fortresses set up by the Joseon Dynasty on the south bank. Judging from this, it is definitely not a small-scale disturbance; it is likely that a major operation is about to take place! The Joseon envoy pleads with the Celestial Empire to send reinforcements immediately!"

As he spoke, his worry deepened. If the Jurchens were to launch a full-scale invasion of Korea, the imperial court would immediately face the dilemma of whether or not to aid its vassal state.

Huang Zongxi continued, “Thirdly, there is Korea!” He paused briefly, “Now that our dynasty’s military strength is showing signs of recovery, the Jurchens dare not rashly launch a large-scale westward advance, so they will naturally plunder other places. Where else can these other places be besides Korea?”
"Korea is a vassal state of our Great Ming Dynasty, and follows the Chinese calendar. Now, its national destiny is in peril, and it desperately seeks aid. This is a matter of righteousness! As officials of the court, how can we stand idly by and watch our vassal state fall into savagery?"

His tone grew increasingly solemn: "I believe that we should strongly advocate for aiding the Ming Dynasty in the imperial court! We urge the court to send reinforcements and allocate provisions as soon as possible to demonstrate the majesty of the Celestial Empire and protect our vassal states! Once this proposal is put forward, it will surely attract worldwide attention and be discussed by both the court and the public. At that time, the matter of the official lands in Jiangnan will naturally be... temporarily put aside for later discussion."

He didn't say it explicitly, but everyone present understood—the proposal to aid Korea was yet another massive wave that would stir up the political situation and shift the focus!
“Taichong is absolutely right!” Qian Qianyi nodded first, stroking his beard, and said, “When vassal states are in dire need, how can the Celestial Empire stand idly by? This is a matter of righteousness and duty! In tomorrow’s court meeting, we should all advocate sending troops to aid the Celestial Empire!”

(End of this chapter)